Charlestown, MA Hood Park, the 20-acre, mixed-use development, has been awarded two awards for the innovative design of 6 Stack St., the campus’s half-acre public green and custom Landry’s Bicycles Service Center. The American Society of Landscape Architects’ (ASLA) recognized 6 Stack St. with the Honor Award for General Design and the International Architecture Awards (IAA) recognized 6 Stack St. with an award for Public Space. 6 Stack St. is the only project from the United States to be recognized by the IAA in the Public Space category.

6 Stack St. is an elevated, half-acre public green with an interior wood-clad bike pavilion located underneath. In their respective award announcements, both the IAA and ASLA praised the unique, sloped topography of 6 Stack St.’s green that serves as an innovative buffer for the Hood Park campus, protecting it from noise and pollution caused by the surrounding interstate and nearby industrial areas. Intentionally designed to proactively address environmental issues, the sloped design also raises the project out of future coastal flooding zones and provides stormwater storage to accommodate runoff for current and future buildings on-site.

Native plantings play an important role in the sustainable design of 6 Stack St. Located primarily on the second-floor roof deck of 6 Stack St., these plants cleanse the air of nearby pollutants, mitigate the urban heat-island effect and enhance the natural beauty of the site. The second-floor roof deck with its native plantings connects to 6 Stack St.’s sloped lawn by a universally accessible path that coalesces at a street-level stage. This street-level stage serves as a community gathering spot for Hood Park’s many community events including farmers’ markets, and live music performances.

Inside 6 Stack St.’s interior bike pavilion, there are over 70 bike racks, repair services, storage lockers and publicly accessible showers, all of which are managed by Landry’s Bicycles, one of the retail tenants at Hood Park. The bike pavilion was designed by leading architectural firm Elkus Manfredi and demonstrates the eco-friendly options available both inside and outside of 6 Stack St. for those who live or work at Hood Park.

“The Hood Park team is committed to promoting sustainable design throughout our site that serves the Greater Charlestown community for generations to come,” said Chris Kaneb, manager of Hood Park LLC. “We are grateful to our many project partners, particularly Offshoots and Elkus Manfredi, and the IAA and ASLA for recognizing 6 Stack St.’s innovative, resilient design. We hope 6 Stack St. continues to serve as an eco-friendly, community gathering space for all to enjoy.”